Topic: Services - Clerk of Court Augusta County VA

Services - Clerk of Court Augusta County VA

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On Nov. 5, Augusta County voters will decide many major issues. Among the most important for you personally: whom to choose for Clerk of the Augusta County Court.

The clerk's office handles hundreds of complex responsibilities, including maintaining records of civil and criminal cases, probate and estate matters, trusts, deeds and other land records, issuance of marriage licenses, applications for concealed carry, grand juries, lists of jurors, and others that affect every county citizen directly or indirectly. The Clerk and her staff of 10 manage all these tasks and oversee a large budget. In FY 2018, they collected more than $5.5 million in fines, costs, fees and other revenues. They also oversee more than $2 million in criminal restitution orders. Providing these services while controlling expenses requires dedication, efficiency, interpersonal skills, and a solid commitment to automating data systems.

Lauren Griffin currently serves as a paralegal at the Augusta County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office where she's been for 15 years. I have known and worked with her for years. The CWA could not function without its paralegals. They manage thousands of case files, which were in the process of being digitized as recently as 2016. (Lauren and our other paralegals contributed significantly to that project.) She and the other paralegals are heavily involved in preparing indictments and other paperwork for the grand jury six times a year as well as almost every other aspect of the CWA's work, short of actual trials.

Lauren has a terrific work ethic. She's organized and efficient. She's smart, with a degree from Bridgewater College. In addition to being diligent, she has a quiet determination. She gets the job done, but avoids drama. More importantly, she knows the court system, having worked in it for a decade and a half.

To my fellow citizens, please consider how important this job is. Given what's at stake for the county's citizens, the decision should be based first, foremost and exclusively on the candidate's qualifications. Please cast your vote for Lauren Griffin; she has the background, the drive and the intelligence to be a superb clerk of court.